Hey Folks,For all of you local to N.VA, have you worked Great Falls Park or Scotts Run? I called Great Falls Park this morning and they said folks have been working an area by the river, but I thought the area was OFF LIMITS? The ranger informed me they really don't mind if you pan the creek, so have you tried the area yet? If yes, where is a good location, it looks like there are several small creeks running through the park? Again, I'm trying to find a pretty good place close to home, the creek out behind my house has not been very productive, no gold in my pan yet! Dutchman Creek is a good bet, but have not been able to obtain permission to the area yet, however, THAW seems to have the secret place there !! Please let me know if Great Falls or Scoots Run is worth trying, thanks again! Take care and watch for snakes!FZ

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I was planning on Scotts Run this thursday (7/15)...but the weather will decide that.. taking my 2" along.... I have heard pretty good "color" there...

As for "Great Falls"...well...according to Maryland laws, NO prospecting Federal lands or the Potomac river?...but who realy knows this state is a JOKE!40 hours of prospecting in Md. is equal to 5 minutes at Contrary in Va. (why drive 1 hour east to DC for 1 flake of gold, when 1 hour and 10 minutes south will give you 1/4 ounce ?)...your call...

As for Lost D creek: you need to enter it from the Md. side at the Brunswick boat ramp, wade accross to the Va. bank, and enter it there."color" is there, however, alot of work for little gold....and with out a doubt, you WILL need something like this!!!

OK, Scotts Run is out, no panning! Oh well, it was a nice try But hey, Great Falls is still available and it looks like the old Scotts Run prospect is located off the park area, just below Georgetown Pike, or it appear so? Anyway, there still may be some hope after all! FZ

fzwan_69 wrote:OK, Scotts Run is out, no panning! Oh well, it was a nice try But hey, Great Falls is still available and it looks like the old Scotts Run prospect is located off the park area, just below Georgetown Pike, or it appear so? Anyway, there still may be some hope after all! FZ

uhh....just the opposite of what I was saying

"We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children."

I used to live in Maryland and I was told by a couple of resourse officers that the C and O Canal is federal land and the rangers will watch you prospect all day out in the river but when you come to shore you are on federal park land and they will confiscate everything you have, both equipment and gold if you are lucky to have found any. Now if you can get out of the river on the Virginia side and not be trespassing you may be ok? I also thought the Great Falls area was federal park land also. If you talk to a ranger and he tells you it is ok to prispect I would get his name and badge number before I would go. The little bit of gold you will find would not be worth all that could happen. Good luck.

fzwan_69 , There is gold in Scotts Run, no doubt . In some places it's very good .However a few years ago, a certain gent went up there and trashed the creek pretty bad . There have been hard feelings towards prospectors there since .Do not enter the reserve to prospect, you do so at your own risk . The rangers may not bother you, but they can confiscate all your stuff . Just ain't worth it .Above the main bridge,and below the second bridge is private property .. That is where we used to dredge .Haven't been there in a couple years though .I'm not gonna tell anyone that it is OK to prospect there . But if you do . Bring a bar of soap,and a change of clothes, cause you will stink of sewage .I would suggest you find somewhere else, but thats up to you .Good lead up there though !

The Entire Potomac River From DC to just before Harpers Ferry WV is part of the National Park Service if you Prospect it they will take your equipment your vehicle and anything else you are carrying on your person car truck or whatever.

Good input, thanks for all the information folks! I have to agree with all of you...it is not worth the trouble going to Great Falls. I suppose CC is my best bet for now, see you all down there real soon! Take care,FZ

P.S. Hey THAW, thanks again for the information supplied, much appreciated indeed!

Hey THAW,I understand what you're saying about both Scotts Run and Great Falls, I just posted my second reponse before reading your post. Thanks again for the video link, not able to view it at work, but will check it out tonight! Hope you have some luck today! BTW...I finally find some color in the creek behind my house...looks like fly crap it is so small! Any recommendations on how to get the gold to stop floating in my pan? I added a bit of dish soap to my panning tray, but that does not seem to work? Any suggestions folks? FZ

Rock Run in Montgomery county, MD is the site of two former gold mines.*Some* people - emphasis on some - have panned gold out the creek there.Locals don't seem to mind as long as you're low key and friendly. I never sawa ranger there in 5 trips. Never got but a few fines either. But you can still seethe gold mine sites.

If you go: Park on the parkside of the bend in Brickyard Road and hump down to the creek. The mine entrances are on the hill that slopes up on the oppositebank. You enter the park for such activities at your own risk. The reward is likelyto disapoint compared to CC as others have said. I only list it as it is technicallygold "producing".